Within the Reflection
by LelUCares
Summary: AU. Legends, even the most fantastic of them all, held a small portion of truth. Rituals are pretty much the same; the only difference is that you better not mess with them as they have the power to leave dark stains behind that not even time can clean. Kim and other unfortunate souls learn this lesson the hard way.
1. Courage Test

**Within the Reflection**

"_The reflection in the bathroom mirror was not her own."_

Little Jackie was really angry, like, on pure fiery fury. Not only her best friend Kim had eaten her share of backed sweet potatoes and didn't apologize afterwards, but she also mocked her and called her a coward just because Jackie refused to obey her! Jackie huffed at the memory.

It was past midnight. Kim's parents were already sleeping and Kim herself was snorting softly at the end of the hallway in their shared bedroom, but little Jackie was in the cold bathroom, alone and in front of the big mirror with a small wooden ruler in hand as Kim had previously told her.

She was nervous, of course, her hands felt sweaty and her hearth was beating really fast, making her take shallow breaths. She was about to surrender and go, but if she wanted to prove Kim wrong and make her eat her own words, Jackie knew she would have to do that _thing_.

"Darn you Kim… and darn your stupid courage test, too!" she squeaked as she closed the door and blew out the candle she had, extinguishing the only light from the bathroom. The little room was almost instantly engulfed in darkness. Jackie couldn't see anything, but some seconds after, the scarce light from the oil street lamps outside managed to creep from the window, letting Jackie distinguish more than fifty shades of gray.

"Here goes nothing," she said as her reflection mutely copied her. She felt her heartbeat quicken more. Jackie then closed her bright brown eyes, held the ruler up and, in a swift movement, took one of her hairs out of the rest at random and put the ruler besides it. When she frightfully opened her eyes, she saw the nervousness she felt from the eyes of her loyal reflection.

She gulped. There. She did it. Now all that was left was check if the measure of her and her reflection's hair was different, obviously being the same and she could finally go cuddle in the warm bed with Kim.

Jackie took a pair of calming breaths before checking her ruler. 15 centimeters. She then looked at her reflections' and felt her blood run out cold. 18 centimeters. Her eyes widened in surprise and fear as the darkness around her suddenly felt oppressing and thick, letting an icy chill go down her spine. Did she read wrong? Was that even possible? Mommy said that reflections do everything you do… only backwards.

While in shock, she saw something move in front of her and her eyes – in reflex – focused on her face. Specifically on her reflection's cold gaze. She felt those familiar almond but empty eyes looking directly at her. Not like looking past her as usual, but really looking at her, her. She slowly and cautiously lowered the ruler and her reflection did exactly the same. The two never breaking eye-contact.

It wasn't until the thing in front of her slowly cocked its head to one side with an impossibly wide and crooked grin that Jackie's instincts kicked in. She yelled and tried to open the door of the bathroom.

It was truly a shame that the moment the little girl turned her back to the mirror, a fancy dressed bonny and round-headed shadow with claws and tail launched itself out of the glass and grabbed little Jackie's shoulder, making her turn back to it.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Soul Eater, their characters or locations; they're the properties of Atsushi Ohkubo. I just took them without permission for entertaining purposes.

The idea was mainly based from the micropasta "The mirror" and the cover image is from her respective owner.

* * *

_Hiya!_

_Welcome to my first creepypasta-based AU story! I hope you liked it. :)_

_This thing started as a school's portfolio (hence the small phrase at the beginning) and because I have such an active mind this was born. This is truly going to be a small story with chapters ranging between the 500 and 800 words (I foresee 3 more updates only), so please enjoy._

_Also, I'm going to clear this up for you, guys. The story develops in 1909 or so. _

_If I got mistaken in anything like grammar or even the oil lamps thing or you just want to complain about something constructively, feel free to point out._

_Bis bald, alle!_


	2. Past Burdens

**Within the Reflection**

"_It was until that moment she realized you can't truly run from your past."_

The front door opened with a loud 'crack' and Kim's petite figure entered the obscured house. She turned the brand new tungsten bulbs on only to be greeted by a small note on the table from her parents. It seemed they had been called from the hospital.

'_Probably another cargo full with more Gallipoli survivors, do they ever stop coming here?'_ the girl thought as she closed the door with a kick and left her bag on the floor. There was a sudden draught that made her feel an uncomfortable shudder.

Kim hated being alone on her home. Since the mysterious disappearance from her childhood best friend six years ago, Kim stopped feeling secure on her own at her house. The atmosphere inside, that was usually warm, safe and familiar as a real home should to feel, changed to something malevolent, cold and expectant. Like there was something about to happen.

That feeling was a thousand stronger on the upstairs bathroom.

She hesitated for a second at the doorway until she began walking towards the kitchen. She and her team from college stayed in the library preparing an essay about the Witch-Hunts in middle ages for History class until it was finished. Now it was 6 in the afternoon and she was completely spent and most importantly: hungry.

She took a generous leaf of bread from the kitchen, and went to the living room to read a little while she waited for her parents to return.

Living with two full-time doctors all her life showed her she preferred to wait for them than be unexpectedly awakened the moment they came back with that noisy three-wheeled Knox piece of metal. Besides, tomorrow was Saturday so she could sleep until late.

Half an hour later, she was content reading a new chapter of her "_Niki's Saving Service_" novel when she heard a muffled sound. She set her book aside and waited to see if she heard the sound once again. When she did she noticed it sounded like a little girl's giggling.

Puzzled, she stood from the couch and tried to pinpoint the giggle-sound. As she got near the second-floor stairs, the sound intensified.

Kim followed the hypnotizing and familiar giggle, going up to the second floor until she came face to face with the bathroom.

The door was open wide, the light inside was turned on and the mirror was completely fogged. To what the green-eyed could distinguish from her place, there was also a small budge hiding in the curtains of the tub.

She was frozen on place. Her gut told her to get away as fast as her legs could carry her from that room (and even the house, if possible), and her rational mind told her otherwise, to go inside and solve the strange situation she was involved in. Her hearth felt like it was about to burst out of her chest from how fast it was beating; her head started aching and even her hands felt cold from the adrenaline rush she suddenly had. One would think Kim was glued on the floor when…

"Kimmie, are you going to leave me here again?"

If the house wasn't as deadly silent as it was, Kim wouldn't have been able to hear that faint whisper. '_Her whisper..._' Kim subconsciously thought. In that moment she felt such intense guilt hit her chest so hard she thought she was about to collapse on her knees.

"Jacqueline? Is that you?" Kim said in a thin voice as she slowly entered the room, only for the door to close shut behind her. She felt a small thing slightly brush her hand and the plain room clamp around her.

"I told you I was no coward."

Next thing that happened were the sounds of inhuman agonizing yells and shrieks that came from within.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Soul Eater, their characters or locations; they're the properties of Atsushi Ohkubo. I just took them without permission for entertaining purposes.

* * *

_Hallo!_

_Second chapter. Dun, dun duuuuuuuuuuun! Two chapters finished, two more to go. ;) I'm going fast. Yay!  
_

_Okay, I hope I didn't mess up with the historical things here. I had to search a little bit so I would be sad if what I said turned out to be false. :C If they are, I invite you to throw rocks at me for not searching harder._

_Bis bald, alle!_


	3. Lost Story

**Within the Reflection**

"_People may forget, but places never will."_

"I'm telling you, Miss Ford," said the businesswoman to my mother as she stepped out the house. "This place, the Gallows mansion, is almost one hundred years old, but the structure is completely safe and the pipes and all those kind of services are in excellent conditions!"

"Yes, I don't doubt that, Miss Albarn. That half million of dollars must be worth it after all." laughed my mother as the two bid their farewells and she closed the door.

The last box containing my mother's tablecloths and porcelain silverware was finally unpacked. Our move was officially finished now.

I fought to contain a deep sigh. I was going to miss my old home, school and my friends, but my parents told me that me and my brother were going to make new ones at our new home and that the school at our new town was one of the best in the state.

…

It's been two weeks since they moved in and Ox was pretty sure there was something fishy in the place. Objects moved, there were stepping sounds in the attic, he could swear he heard faint whispers when alone and even the second floor bathroom's lights turned on once.

He tried telling his brother about his suspicions, but Harvar just waved him off as too much creepypastas at night.

…

Ox was very thirsty and he forgot to bring a glass of water with him before going to sleep. He opened his door and went downstairs towards the kitchen. He didn't turn on any light fearing he would wake up somebody.

When he went back towards his room he felt a sudden chill spread on his body. He turned around to the blackness of his house. There it was, the entity living on his house was making itself present to him once more.

He decided to make the first step communicating.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Silence.

"What's your name?"

…

Miss Ford tried once again to talk with her youngest son. She knew Ox's grades were seriously dropping at school and it didn't help that he was distancing himself more and more from the family. It was fair to say that she was sick worried for him.

Since the night she found him muttering and laughing with himself on his room two moths ago, she knew something was outright wrong. She even tried taking his little Ox with a psychiatrist for a general medical check only to find nothing.

She decided to check up on him once again that night.

At 3 in the morning she stepped out of her room making her best to move as silent as possible. There was still a possibility that Harvar slept until late studying for his exams and she didn't wanted to wake him up. When she arrived at her youngest son's door, she saw it was slightly cracked open. She used an eye to peek inside and immediately covered her mouth.

He was in front of the mirror from his room and was caressing his reflection's face with such tenderness as if not wanting to stain it or something. All the while he said "Soon, my lady, soon we'll be reunited."

She removed herself from the door the moment she heard small footsteps from behind her quickly run to the bathroom.

…

He heard Harvar inspect the attic some minutes ago, but he just stood near the door and left. They finally left him alone. His family didn't- couldn't understand him at all, his loneliness and pain of being separated of his soul mate.

But that was going to change tonight.

He stepped on the chair and secured the rope in one of the sturdy wooden beams.

The silvery light of the moon from the small window in front shinned brightly on him as he felt his love's feather-like touch on his face. He put his great solution around his neck and, with all the love and necessity he could muster, whispered "Only yours, my fair lady…"

He then proceeded to jump.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Soul Eater, their characters or locations; they're the properties of Atsushi Ohkubo. I just took them without permission for entertaining purposes.

* * *

_Woah!_

_This is my first time trying this kind of writing and it felt... weird. I hope it wasn't that bad to give you cancer._

_Anyway, I'm just one chapter from finishing this story (yay!), but I don't think I'll have it tomorrow ready to publish, so bear with me.  
_

_Bis bald, alle!_


	4. Hollowed

**Within the Reflection**

_Just a small warning. This chapter is a little more graphic than the others. If you dislike kids dying, demonic entities and gore-like details, then WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU DOING HERE? Why did you READ the last THREE chapters!? I even changed the rating from "K+" to "T"! Anyway, proceed at your own risk. (And enjoy, of course! :D)_

* * *

"_Even the purest of creatures can get tainted by evil"._

"Huh? What is it? What did you guys found?" Kirikou asked as he saw two of the youngest children (and only twins) on the living room alone. They were Fire, who was playing with a small parcel, and Thunder, who was with a doll on hands. He had just finished with his round and was about to close the front door and retire towards his chamber at the volunteer's section in the second floor.

Thunder handed over her new toy while Fire gave him a small note that came along the package.

"Beregini doll?" he said to himself while Thunder nodded. There was no address or something. The note only read "Beregini 'Motanka' doll for cleansing, take care of it and good night to you all". It wasn't that they didn't receive anonymous gifts for the kids from time to time, but never one like that. He held the note over the kids heads and asked "Did you guys saw who left this?"

The two siblings shook their heads in unison.

He then proceeded to inspect the rag doll itself. It was very strange. It was made with some kind of naturistic fabric; it had a colorful rectangle on the face and had the two arms widespread, forming a cross. Also, Kirikou noticed that the small doll's mouth and eyes were strangely sewed in front the colorful pattern. It seemed quite odd and ugly to him, but he wasn't a doll specialist to say anything about it so he just put it on the desk, far from the child's grasp. He was going to ask Mr. Barett about what to do with it in the morning.

In the meantime he had to deal with a pair of unhappy faces. "All right, don't give me those faces! It's already 9. Let's call it a night, I promise you can play with your toys at morning."

He then proceeded to take the two mute sibling's hands and took them towards their room while the two looked back to the strange doll's lifeless eyes, silently agreeing to sneak out and play a little more.

Some hours after that, Kirikou was on his room next to the bathroom chatting with his friend.

"You sure you'll be around for my next party? It's this next Tuesday, you know?" asked excitedly a boy with blue hair.

"Yeah, Bla Star, this is my last weekend of community service and I'm glad. The heater died again and I'm freezing my ass here."

Black Star threw his hands on the air. "Sweet, just grab a blanket and be a man you pussy! Besides I can't believe you could endure 3 weeks there, Kilik! I mean, you know what kind of history that building has!"

"Hoo? Am I sensing fear, Bla Star?" the African-American boy teased.

"Wah-? No way!" was the shocked reply he got.

Kirikou laughed, easing the fuming Black Star before replying "Nah, I don't worry about those kind of things. By now almost half of the houses in the States might have been place of a crime already and you don't see ghost raining everywhere, do you?" he said with a smug smile and decided to change subject. "Then see ya there at the fiesta?"

"Of course, man! Smell ya!"

After the animated chat he had, Kirikou decided to surf for a little while in the internet, painful oblivious of the quietness that reigned the mansion by now. He hoped that maybe he would be able to get some sleepiness that way. It didn't help that the room was freezing. He could see the windows get fogged by the cold, for grand sake!

Step, step… crack

Kirikou stopped tapping his keyboard at the sound and looked behind him towards his closed door.

It's been 5 years since the mansion was finally occupied again, now functioning as a small orphanage for handicapped children, and the house itself had been standing since the beginning of the past century, so of course there were going to be strange noises around. Pipes could be broken, wood creaking and maybe a rat or two called the walls their home too. That was Kirikou told himself the very first night he heard things in the mansion. Still… Kirikou thought that the strange noise was something else. It sounded almost like light steps.

'_It might be a bunch of kids, then.'_ It was very late for them to be playing around, and if they were then Miss Thompson (who was in round tonight) surely was going to return them to their rooms. Weird he hadn't seen her when he went to the kitchen for a snack before calling Black Star.

"They're probably trying to use the bathroom…" He chose to ignore the noise, closed his laptop and went to sleep.

* * *

Detective 'Soul Eater' Evans parked his car and soon confronted one of the police officers. He got that nickname after a successful career resolving and imprisoning criminals behind the most difficult and gruesome cases. This one was not going to be the exception.

"Detective, according to the housekeeper's testimony her brother got very sick the night before, so she left the mansion to take care of him," before the investigator could say something else, the cop continued. "Her mother and family doctor backed up her story. Then, when she went to work that morning, she found the atmosphere around the house 'eerily silent', opened the door and well… The police arrived fifteen minutes after her hysterical call."

The two moved towards the house and the detective opened the door revealing a dreading sight.

The police had put blankets on the floor and piled the bodies – or what was left of them – in the living room. There were since chunks of rotting meat to completely disembodied bodies. The police was trying hard to gather the pieces of the corresponding corpse with each.

"I… see. I can understand why she reacted that way…" Soul Eater said as he covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief a little taken aback.

"Detective, this is not a normal case. The only survivors were two twins that are currently missing. We only found about them thanks to the orphanage records. When counting the bodies theirs and Miss Nakatsukasa's were the only missing. The sheriff suspected that whoever attacked the house had taken hostage the two kids as well."

Considering the state of disembowelment most of the bodies where in, it was no surprise the police had come to use the orphanage records to try and count the victims. You couldn't even distinguish the sex of most corpses. Only small patches of long bloodied hair on the body or near them gave away the information.

"Only clue we have is a small text written in blood in the bathroom of the second floor. It says "coward". We still don't know why but we're investigating if one of the adults had any kind of problem with somebody else."

"All right, then. We have a mass murder case along the kidnapping of two possible alive victims," said Soul Eater putting some plastic gloves on. "I'll begin my investigation, if you don't mind. Every second we waste here is every second the life of those kids is in danger."

"Go ahead, detective." the cop turned heels and walked outside calling the other cops as well, they all didn't want to stay more than necessary. He, for example, felt like vomiting and had a very bad feeling invading him every time he entered the house.

The detective got in all fours in front of one of the most complete corpses. It was the body of one of the volunteers identified as Kirikou Rung. He lost two legs, half jaw and one eye, but the most interesting wound of all was the hole he had on the chest.

Soul Eater plunged his gauntleted hand inside the hole, expecting to find some kind of clue. A note, a knife… anything was good that could help reach the murderer. While tampering the body he noticed how there were several chunks of meat and even organs missing. He was no doctor, of course, but there was no way a chest was so empty.

He was about to retreat his hand out and call for a forensic when he brushed something hard. Seriousness and a hint of pride came to him as he grabbed the object, twisted and pulled until the thing came free from the cavity. The object was drenched in blood and stink like hell.

He used his handkerchief to clean whatever he could of the object until he revealed a small ragged and creepy smiling doll covered in dried blood. He started examining it from behind until he felt something sharp like teeth thug on his sleeve.

On pure reflex he threw the offending object far away from him. The doll landed face down on the floor and he could see how the thing's chest appeared to rise and sink. He didn't know why, but the word 'found me' in a chilling dual voice started resonating on his mind over and over again.

Then it clicked.

That's when he, successful detective 'Soul Eater' Evans, for the first time in his brilliant criminalist career, wished to have never resolved a case on his life.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Soul Eater, their characters or locations; they're the properties of Atsushi Ohkubo. I just took them without permission for entertaining purposes.

* * *

_Finally!_

_I WASN'T expecting to take so long to upload, but neither had I been expecting to be dragged out of the country for two weeks... anyway, here it is: the last chapter. I tried to compensate the fact I took forever to upload writing a way longer chapter._

_Woo hoo! I feel so good. Now there's only one story left to finish. :D_

_Tschüss!_


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